Legislators representing Orange County, Long Beach and Riverside and San Bernardino counties had a lot to say after President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday night. Here are quotes from interviews with the representatives as well as portions of their statements, starting with Orange County representatives:

Ed Royce, R-Fullerton: “No child should be condemned to a life of poverty because they lack opportunity. But instead of empty rhetoric and economic experimentation, we need tested policies that create jobs, strengthen our economy, and provide opportunities for all Americans.

“We can grow our economy by encouraging energy independence through projects like the Keystone Pipeline; making our tax code fairer and simpler and increasing take-home pay for many Americans in the process; addressing our out-of-control deficit through entitlement reform; and focusing on education initiatives that prepare our students to compete in a global economy.”

Darrell Issa, R-Vista: “Tonight the president laid out his vision to once again bypass Congress to use executive orders to run the country and to legislate from the Oval Office. This isn’t the American way, courts have not supported his past attempts, and he only does damage to the American people’s confidence in government when he doesn’t work with Congress to pass real reforms – especially on areas like the NSA and the abuses of the IRS and so on, where his administration has overseen abuses of personal liberties.”

“Americans always excel when government respects their rights to liberty and their right to do what they believe is best, to strive to succeed, to fail at times, to get up and strive again. Because the American dream is not about a guarantee, it’s about the guaranteed rights to succeed or fail on our own merits. That’s where job creation comes from, that’s where Americans want to be, and that’s where the president failed to be tonight.”

Dana Rohrabacher, R-Costa Mesa: “He came to Congress asserting he was going to usurp the power of Congress. And it was a sort of slap in the face with a sort of sincere tone but at the same time but the actual content of what he was saying was that he was going to bypass Congress' authority – that's a pretty damn scary thing to have the president of the United States coming in to Congress and telling us he's going to do this whether we go along with him or not.

“I think that he spent a great deal of his speech on creating jobs and the necessity of helping people find work. And I think that seems to be contradictory to his commitment to his position on the immigration issue.

“He talked about furthering the cause of high tech jobs. His methodology would hurt (Orange County).”

Alan Lowenthal, D-Long Beach: “I thought it was inspiring. He laid out a clear vision of where we are and where we have to go.” (Among the topics he liked): “When women succeed, America succeeds; the minimum wage increase; the trade partnerships.”

Loretta Sanchez, D-Santa Ana: “I stand ready to move forward on many of the issues the president spoke about tonight, issues that I have spoken about for years.

“We need to enroll every eligible American in the quality, affordable health care now available through the Affordable Care Act. We urgently need to extend emergency unemployment insurance for Americans who are doing all they can to find work and provide for their families.

“It is imperative that we pass comprehensive immigration reform for the 11 million people living in the shadows. We need to make early-childhood education universal because the best way to bridge the achievement gap in the 12th grade is to do it in preschool. We must ensure that women receive equal pay for equal work, and we must raise the minimum-wage nationwide so that those working fulltime aren't living in poverty. And, as always, we need to make sure that our troops have all the support they need both on the battlefield and at home.”

Long Beach area

Rep. Janice Hahn, D-San Pedro: “I was of course happy to hear him say that through executive order he is going to raise the minimum wage for federal workers. I was one of those who signed on to a letter urging him to do that.”

“I was excited to hear about our ports and infrastructure because that’s something I really care about.” Hahn is a member the House Transportation Committee.

“I think he made it pretty clear, ‘Look, Congress, if you want to work with me, let’s work together; if you’re not going to work, I’m going to move forward.’ I love that he gave Vice President (Joe) Biden a new job to oversee job training programs. Training workers … and then connecting them to the jobs that need workers, I love that.”

Related Links

Rep. Ed Royce, shown in Santa Ana in 2010, questions whether President Obama will support "tested policies that create jobs, strengthen our economy, and provide opportunities for all Americans." FILE PHOTO: ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Rep. Loretta Sanchez. shown in a 2010 televised debate, said she stands "ready to move forward on many of the issues the president spoke about." FILE: LEONARD ORTIZ, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Rep. Darrell Issa, shown in a 2012 speech, criticized what he called President Obama's "vision to once again bypass Congress to use executive orders to run the country and to legislate from the Oval Office." FILE PHOTO: AP
U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, shown in 2005, said she was pleased "the president devoted a significant portion of his address to income inequality." FILE PHOTO: AP

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